Ajuntament de Caldes d'Estrac

This small “Chapel of the Remedy” had a painted wooden image of the Virgin with a blackened face depicting her seated and carrying a bunch of flowers in her right hand and the baby Jesus in her left. The image we can now admire dates back to the 1940s, as the old one disappeared during the Civil War.

It is worth noting that the Verge del Remei (Virgin of the Remedy), the patron saint of Caldes, is the only one of its name and has its own history. This title is documented in Caldes since 1657, by Dominican friar Narcís Camós.

Camós explains that the image was found thanks to two cows from Can Simon (later known as Can Busquets) which, when they went out to graze, used to leave the group and always went to the same place, in a lower level of the church, while roaring. This drew the attention of the townspeople, who started digging in the site and found the image of the Virgin. On that same place, a small chapel was erected to remember the place where those two cows had shown where the Virgin was to be found. 

Today, you can still see the groove on the earth where the Virgin was found. The image was placed on the altar of St. Elmo, in the church of the town, from which it miraculously moved to the main reredos, indicating that it wanted to become the main patron of the town.

Other miracles have also been attributed to this image.

During a looting by Turkish corsairs, the pirates tried to enter the church and take the image of the Virgin. However, they were only able to take it up to the doorway, and were unable to move it after this point. After some time, Mr Montserrat Pi arrived at the church and, seeing the image at the door, he returned it to the altar noticing that it had a broken finger (some say an arm). Montserrat Pi replaced the missing part. From that moment, the Virgin granted him the power to heal using self-made medication and to put in place the bones and joints of the arms.

Following Montserrat Pi’s death, this gift was transferred to his son and then to his grandson, until they gradually lost the power.

OTHER INTERESTING POINTS

1. Santema and the Palau Foundation Street

2. The Thermal Baths

3. Capella del Remei

4. Parròquia de Santa Maria (Parish of St. Mary)

5. The Watchtowers

6. The Old Town Centre and the Lime Kiln

7. Capella del Carme and Carrer d´El Callao Street

8. The Railway Station

9. Caldes and Joan Maragall

10. Passeig dels Anglesos

11. Hotel Colón and the Sea Baths

12. The Mills

13. Can Comillas and Can Nadal

14. Can Vidal, Hotels and Inns

15. Can Muntanyà Park